Steve Cost told Brown Baggers about his art and photography during the Coutts Memorial Museum of Art’s Brown Bag Luncheon Tuesday.

Cost went to school in New York originally to play football and study art. After hurting his knee, he decided he wanted to leave New York. Travels through the country showed him that he really liked the central United States.

“So I looked at the College of Emporia and got accepted to study art,” he said.
“My first love has always been drawing and photos.”

Although he worked for an insurance agency for some time, he felt drawn to teach art and took a job teaching at Andover High School and Middle School.
After a while he went into administration, which he called a mistake.

“It took me away from what I truly love to do,” Cost said.

So when an opening came up at Circle High School to teach, he decided to do that, retiring last May.

Since retiring, he is getting more into his own work, which was limited during his teaching because of a lack of time.

“This is my debut as an artist,” he said. “I’m taking off my teacher’s hat and putting on an artist’s hat.”

He also has been encouraged by the El Dorado community.

“I’ve always been impressed with how supportive the community of El Dorado is with the arts,” he said.